Abstract: A composition for chemical mechanical polishing of copper that includes 05% by volume of an etchant such as nitric acid, ammonium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, or ammonium chloride; 0.1-1% by weight of an azole selected from benzotriazole and derivations thereof that function similarly to bezotriazole in the composition; 0.1-2% by volume of a biodegradable detergent; and deionized water or a lower alkanol to make 100% by volume of the composition. The polishing method includes the step of polishing the bottom copper surface of a magnetic electronic device with the polishing composition of this invention for 5-30 minutes to obtain rms roughness of the copper surface of less than about 6 .ANG..